A Course in Miracles: Combined Volume Mass Market Paperback – January 1, 1975

The most shocking thing you'll notice if you open A Course In Miracles is the deceivingly pretentious introduction that never fails to spark intrigue.And by that I mean, ahem!... Check out the first five sentences..."This is a course in miracles. It is a required course. Only the time you take it is voluntary. Free will does not mean that you can establish the curriculum. It means only that you can elect what you want to take at a given time."Required?The only choice is when I take it at any-given-time?And yet, there is enormous wisdom in it.It takes browsing a few pages to realize that actually, it is required, because it is the only spiritual message there is.It is the same message we hear from anyone that has ever grown into spiritual high levels and tried to tell us how to join them. It is the way.Yes, there is a heavy "Christian" tone to the book. BUT, to my surprise, and unlike the stories I heard in both, catholic-elementary AND catholic-high-school (such was my luck) --- this book interprets things correctly.For example... take a contentious phrase, something like: "revenge is mine".Can you imagine how someone can 'interpret' that to a captivated audience of easily scared listeners? or, worse, can you imagine the reaction of someone who may be furious and stumbling on such a page?It could be dangerous.But the book makes the meaning clear, at least for me..... this is what it says (I paraphrase):Revenge is mine means you NEVER take revenge. You do the right thing, but you do not take revenge because the results of the actions of s/he, whom you perceive as your perpetrator, are NOT up to you, but up to a higher power.Phew!Early this year I took to A Course In Miracles again and found gems within it. I wanted to share some of the most interesting ones with you.Here they are:1.- INFINITE PATIENCE DELIVERS IMMEDIATE RESULTSThe first time I read this one I laughed. I mean, c'mon! Immediate results, oh yeah, ha ha ha.I decided I to put it to the test, that very day. I needed to open a new bank account, and I knew these things take forever. Also I kind of needed it to work because I was already late for work. So I wanted it to work.When the bank representative asked for the usual documents and apologized for the computer being slow, I took it as a sign. I said to myself: infinite patience delivers immediate results. Then...I said to him: "Take your time. No rush at all". (I was sweating inside)But I meant it.The account was open within 12 minutes (I tracked it). I've never seen that happen in a NYC bank before. I was early for work.You see, the thing with this spell is that it has magic in it: it removes "time" from the equation.The first part has the word "infinite" in it: We are outside of time, no beginning, no end, NO TIME.That in turn, is coupled with "patience", which is a human demonstration of infinity.The second part has the word "immediate" in it, which means NOW. NO TIME. And it is coupled with the word "result", meaning: something happens, NOW.NO TIME = INFINITY = NO TIME = SOMETHING HAPPENS NOW.And all we had to do was have an open mind and remember the affirmation.Stepping into the present with an open heart (as you would if you really wanted it to work), gives you an advantage...You are operating from infinity.Try it. You tell me.2.- A MIRACLE IS A SHIFT IN PERCEPTIONThe power of an alchemist lies not in turning dust into gold. That is just a metaphor to show the strength of the mind that lies behind such a miracle.A real miracle is one that happens when in spite of desperation, hurt, defeat, bankruptcy, we still shift our perception from lack, to abundance.We have our feet on the ground, we know where we are, but we also trust the infinite force that is keeping us alive right now, and we know we are abundant, in this moment, because we are here.How is that for a miracle?The Course in Miracles re-defines the meaning of a 'miracle' as something quite mundane which we can do only if we are strong enough.Why do we need to be strong enough? Because changing our habits is not easy.Looking at a situation in a different light requires humility. We need to feel the fire of anger, let it go, and re-open our minds for new possibilities.The stuff of alchemists...3.- I DON'T PERCEIVE MY OWN BEST INTERESTSThis one blew my mind right of its skull.I mean, how true is that? Give it a minute, let it sink in.There is a story of that enlightened monk who, one night, gets a visit from the parents of the teen-age girl that lives next door.The parents are furious, and they accuse him of getting their daughter pregnant. They tell him he will have to look after the baby. And that they will tell everyone in the village. That he is a fraud.The monk says: Is that so?No reaction. He is aware that he does not perceive his own best interests.The baby is born. He takes care of it. And the monk's reputation is ruined, of course.A year later the parents come back and apologize, they tell him their daughter confessed that the child was fathered by the butcher. And, that they want the baby back.The monk says: Is that so?The baby goes back to his parents.The monk's reputation is restored. Further, perhaps he now becomes a legend.We are talking about it now.The story survives because there is truth in it.---How does that introduction I told you about in the beginning continue? Check out the next two lines..."The course does not aim at teaching the meaning of love, for that is beyond what can be taught. It does aim, however, at removing the blocks to the awareness of love's presence, which is your natural inheritance."And removing the veils to our awareness is what we do in our practice every day.Here is to YOU, Dear Veils: Take your time to clear yourselves from my perception.Take all the time you need...I have infinite patience...

This is my second time around the Course. I first completed the course back around 1982. And felt like I got a lot out of it, however I didn't keep up it's teachings, instead I got off on other teaching such as Conversion With God series, by Neal Walsh. But then about a month ago, I I started reading a book Titled: The Disappearance Of The Universe by Gary R. Renard a channel for two Ascended Master, which constantly referred back to the Course In Miracles. And this book also known as, (DU) for short, was an absolute enjoyable and enlightening book I've read in some time, also his other 3 books are right up there with several hundred other books I've read over the past 50 years. So i went on my favorite on-line ordering site Amazon and found out since my original Course in Miracles all 3 were separate hard back books, where now all 3 books are in one book, the 3rd edition added some more information that was not in the original sets.If your on a spiritual journey seeking enlightenment, then the Course In Miracles will Teach you Where you Came From, Why You are Here, and Where You Should Be Headed. It is not a religious book rather a course complete with truth about who and what we truly are.However it does explain very clearly what God is, and what He is Not.There are 3 books (1) A text, (2) A work book, and (3) A teachers manual. The work book is set up with 365 lessons. One a day for 1 year, to complete. The first time I did it I thought I'll never stay with it for a full year, however I did it and was amazed how fast that year few by.First time through I read the Text book through then I did the Work book, and then the Teachers Manual.But this time I'm doing the Work book, and reading the Text at the same time. And I'm enjoying the both books a lot more. They really do go together very well.The Course In Miracles will truly teach you about having a human body, and what it is and what it is not, and what your bothers and sisters are, and are not. That being said, I have been into this spiritual awaking process for over 50 years now. I started with the Edgar Cayce books and went from there through just about every spiritual teacher that came along, such as Seth, Conversations with God and so many more in between.I can honestly say that the Course In Miracles is the most informative and enlightening course that I've ever had the opportunity to learn all about spiritual awaking to oneness with your Higher Self or as some might call the Holy Spirit.If your new to spiritual learning then you might find the Course very challenging at times reading the text, I surely did. In fact as a Engineer back in the 1980's I travel most of the time around the US, so I spent a great deal of time living in Motels, and in the evening instead of sitting in the cocktail lounge, I would go to my room and start reading the text and some statement would just hit me totally wrong. And I would start cursing the passage, and would sling the book across the room smacking it against a wall, then after I'd sit there for a while I'd com down, and go pick the book up, and here's the amazing thing no matter how often I did it and I did do it a few times, the book was always perfect, I mean no damage to the book what so ever. That has to be some kind of Miracle itself. I always expected to see the spine broken or pages damaged, but never nothing. I would just stand there holding the book and shaking my head. That book was surely protected some how. I would like to say that God only knows, how that book was so protected.So to finalize let me say if you are truly a seeker of enlightenment than the Course In Miracles is the Course you want to take, for most it won't be easy, but if you can control yourself and stick with it the reward is beyond words, it will surely change your life forever. You just simply will never be the same.There are other books out there that claim to be taken from the Course Of Miracles, but please don't be fooled by them, because most of them stray from following the Course as it was originally published. They add their own twist to the teachings and do not follow the text correctly.My research and reading the books of the following authors are the best that I can tell you, are right on with the CourseGary R. Renard: (4) booksKenneth Wapnick has many books out that deal with the Course, they are excellent. He was the first teacher of the Course. And like Gary was an expert on the knowledge of the Course. They are both excellent teachers, however Kenneth just recently passed away.Their books make the Course so much easier to understand.Good luck, and God bless, if you decide to get the Course, I assure you , you'll never be sorry.PS.

The purple version is so much easier to understand and is written from Helen’s unedited handwritten notes. It includes so much more information. Get it instead of this one!

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